Daily Times

The Wifaq ul Madaris Al-Arabia Pakistan and Jamia Darul Uloom Karachi, the two main boards governing seminaries in Pakistan, have announced to conduct examinations from 11-16th July.

Jamia Darul Uloom Karachi issued a statement and said students must follow SOPs during the examinations. They have also announced that madrassas will reopen and classes will resume activities from 5th August.

The Ittihad-e-Tanzeemat-e-Madaris Pakistan (ITMP) is also planning to resume learning activities at madrassahs on the same date, but will make a final decision after a meeting with Minister for Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mahmood on 7th July.

Commenting on the development, Wifaq-ul-Madaris spokesman Talha Rahmani said that the IMTP will discuss the reopening of religious seminaries with the education minister in the next meeting.

He added that all the seminaries will fully implement the SOPs announced by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the government.

He highlighted that the representatives of the ITMP and senior members of each board separately met with the Sindh education minister to functionalize the seminaries fully.

Rehmani, however, said if the government didn’t allow the reopening of seminaries, then the administrators of madrasas would be “free to take decisions in the interest of our students”.

“The reopening of seminaries in the month of August is very crucial for completing academic sessions and starting new sessions, else millions of students would lose one academic year. At present, the Wifaq ul Madaris Al-Arabia has announced the schedule of annual examination only.”

According to a press statement issued by the Wifaq ul Madaris Al-Arabia Pakistan last week, those students who were enrolled in the seminaries of other provinces will attempt annual exams from July 11 to 16 in their respective districts. Exams will be conducted in the open spaces following the SOPs.